


Exit Interview

by vjs2259



Category: Babylon 5
Genre: Community: femgenficathon, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-01
Updated: 2009-08-01
Packaged: 2017-12-11 14:16:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/799650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vjs2259/pseuds/vjs2259
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Promotion and re-assignment leads Ensign Marian Roberts to reflect on her stint on Babylon 5.</p>
<p>Background characters, especially recurring ones, fascinate me. I often wonder what they think about the events that unfold during the series. This femgenficathon prompt let me look at one of them. I took a background character who I'd wondered about, and gave her a name, a history, and a future. She's in every episode but two of the first season, and has scenes with Ivanova and Sinclair, as well as lots of reaction shots and inconsequential lines. She's replaced by Corwin in Season 2. This story tells what happened to her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Exit Interview

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: 109) I am one of those that deal in triffels [trifles], 'tho things of greater Consequence do not always escape me. -- Elizabeth Sandwith Drinker (1734-1807), American Quaker diarist and chronicler of urban Philadelphian life during the American Revolution. 
> 
> Standard disclaimer applies; not my characters or settings or backgrounds. But they are my words.

 

Marian Roberts tugged at her uniform jacket, trying to adjust it to ritual perfection, then slicked back her auburn hair. It was neat enough on top, but the bottom ended in loose curls that turned riotous when not rigorously dealt with every morning. She'd gotten the notice of her transfer along with her wake-up call from the com system, and in the excitement of responding to the announcement, she hadn't had time for a vibe shower. The com had also notified her of a scheduled interview at 0700 with Lt. Commander Ivanova. No, she corrected herself mentally-- Acting Commander Ivanova. Commander Sinclair was off-station.

 

The crew was still pretty shaken by the assassination of President Santiago. She'd been on duty in C&C, and watched the whole thing on a live feed from ISN. The human population on the station was just coming to grips with that horrible event when Commander Sinclair had been recalled to headquarters. Everyone in the Command dome had overheard him trying to warn Earth of the impending attack on EarthForce One. Now there was a rumor going around that he wouldn't be returning. No one knew what to think of that. Surely he wasn't in trouble for trying to help, even if he had been too late...but with political types and the top brass you never knew. With Mr. Garibaldi still in MedLab, that left quite a gap in the top officers. Not that it had mattered much. They were all well trained, and used to pulling together and dealing with whatever the universe threw at them. Besides, Lt. Commander Ivanova had stepped in immediately to provide much-needed leadership, with her customary competence and air of authority.

 

Marian had enjoyed the last year; being part of the command team. She'd found herself observing Ivanova during periods of both calm and of crisis. The Lt. Commander wasn't exactly friendly with the staff, but she was always willing to give instruction. She didn't suffer fools gladly, but then Marian didn't either. Ivanova had given her the job of training the new Ensign, Corwin, when he came on board. He'd been willing enough, but so green! She had been on the station since before it had gone online, and somehow hadn't noticed how familiar it had all become. It was...comfortable, even with all the strange things that went on.

 

But now her transfer had unexpectedly come through. After all this time, she had finally gotten a ship.

 

She'd had the request in her file for six months now. Joining EarthForce had been her way to get out among the stars, and she'd never expected to be stuck on a station this long. Her uncle had been a Chief Warrant Officer on a destroyer, and served during the Earth-Minbari war. She'd looked up to him, and hung on his every word during his infrequent visits to the small college town where she'd grown up. At age eight, she'd declared her intention to run away to space. Her parents were amused at first, but a little taken aback when her determination didn't waver over the years. They were academics, and except for her uncle, there was no military tradition in her family. But it was still the easiest way to get out among the stars; space travel was expensive, and getting beyond the settled sectors, out in the depths of unknown territory? Your choices were IPX or EarthForce, and she'd never had a head for business, even with an academic veneer. When she'd finished school, they had asked her to try college first, hoping that a couple of years' study would break her of her desire to go to space. She'd lived at home to save money, attending the same college in which her father was a professor of Philology. No one in her family had been surprised, or notably pleased, when at the end of two years, she had applied to the Academy. Her Uncle Bill had understood. 'Leave her alone," he'd told everyone. 'Girl's space happy. She'll finish her degree in the Academy, go through officer training, and then we'll see. If she's meant to fly, you won't do her a favor clipping her wings.'

 

Then she got her first posting, to the newly commissioned Babylon station, to her disappointed eyes a glorified port job. The trip out was her first long space journey, and she spent most of it either on the small observation area watching the stars when they were between jumps, or hanging around the command deck, trying to learn as much as she could. In the long run the assignment had proven a good one. She'd learned a lot, a great deal of it from the woman she'd come to see. Pausing outside Commander Sinclair's office door, Marian took a breath, deep enough and long enough to calm the butterflies gathering in her stomach. She straightened her shoulders, and hit the alert button on the com panel. "Enter" came the reply, the door swooshed sideways, and she stepped inside.

 

"Roberts," said Lt. Commander Ivanova in acknowledgement of her presence. "I'll be right with you."

 

The woman behind the desk was tapping away at a data pad, alternating her notes with close examination of a comscreen on the desk. She ran her hand down the side of the screen, blanking it and closing the file. Marian stood at attention, hands at her side, not moving even when the Lt. Commander smiled up at her in what seemed a friendly manner.

 

"At ease, Ensign. I just wanted to go over the details of your transfer. And offer my congratulations. I gather this is an outcome you've been hoping for."

 

"Yes, Ma'am. It is." Marian tried to keep the exultation out of her voice. She stood stiffly, hands at her sides, her gaze focused somewhere on the middle distance between herself and her commanding officer.

 

"I said, at ease. Have a seat."

 

Marian initially jumped at Ivanova's barked order, but relaxed somewhat as her superior gestured to the chair at the side of the desk. She sat down, and noticed that Ivanova was nudging the pile of plastic data sheets into right-cornered order. Recognizing the gesture, she suppressed a smile. Ivanova was noted for her compulsive neatness in C&C. Not that Marian disapproved; she liked a clean workspace herself. She sat patiently with her hands clasped loosely in her lap, legs neatly crossed at the ankle.

 

Ivanova began, "In Commander Sinclair's absence, I've gotten a little behind on routine matters. This transfer came in several days ago, but got lost in the shuffle."

 

Marian had stiffened at this, wondering if Ivanova thought she was upset about the delay, but thought it best not to comment until she heard more.

 

"We don't know exactly when the Commander will be returning, and there was no reason to hold up your re-assignment. I was wondering," Ivanova leaned back in her chair, and steepled her fingers in front of her, "if you would mind discussing recent events. I would like your impressions of how they've affected the junior staff."

 

Marian nodded briskly, and replied, carefully neutral, "Everyone was shocked, of course, but I don't think it's affected anyone's work." She wasn't sure why the Lt. Commander was asking her opinion. Upon brief reflection, she realized that since she was leaving, it made her a reasonable choice. She heard a suppressed sigh from her commanding officer, and with a sinking heart, wondered if her answer had been a disappointment. It was a friendly interrogation, but an interrogation none the less.

 

Ivanova's smile was tight as she replied, "I think I would have noticed that." Leaning forward, she spoke directly to the younger woman. "I'm not trying to put you on the spot, but it's a matter of maintaining crew morale. This is a unique situation, even by our standards."

 

Marian took a breath, and said, "Permission to speak freely, Ma'am?"

 

"Of course," said Ivanova, leaning back in her chair. "That's what I asked for. Go ahead."

 

Marian looked down at her hands, now knotted tightly together in her lap. "It's been more than just a shock. Rumors are rife, all over the station, in the crew. among the civilians, and in the alien sector. People are afraid, I think, people are always afraid when there's uncertainty." Looking up, she was relieved to see Ivanova nod.

 

Ivanova replied thoughtfully, "I'm not sure how to alleviate that concern. Times of transition are always difficult; but they do pass. There is still an intact chain of command, albeit with a few links missing at this point."

 

"That's true. " Marian shifted uncomfortably, wondering if the uncertainty she heard in Ivanova's voice was real. It seemed so unlike the Lt. Commander. "It's just that we'd like to know more about what's going on, both on Earth, and with the station." She went on hesitantly, searching for the words to express her feelings, "A lot has happened in the two years I've been here. Most of us, that is, those of us in C&C, really believe in the station's mission." A thought occurred to her, and she hastened to add, "I'm not leaving because of any doubts, Ma'am. I've had this request on file for a long while. It's just that I've..." Marian dropped her eyes, uncertain whether to pursue this unexpectedly personal conversation. "I've always wanted to fly."

 

"Is there a reason you didn't try pilot training?" asked Ivanova curiously.

 

Marian broke down and flashed a grin. She didn't mind the question, not anymore. "I did. I washed out pretty early on." She was almost beginning to enjoy herself. Ivanova wasn't exactly popular, but she was respected. Marian had admired how Ivanova had slid into her position as second in command after Takashima left, gaining the loyalty of the crew in short order. Privately, she thought she could do a lot worse than to pattern her own career on Susan Ivanova's. "I think it's something about the way those flyers have no up or down."

 

"Roberts, the station doesn't really have an up or down...at least not outside the rotating core! Does zero grav bother you?" Ivanova asked, her tone both amused and interested.

 

"Not really. Though I don't have to go outside the core much." She added a bit wistfully, "I guess I just want to be...out there." Marian was surprised at the friendly back-and-forth, and for just a moment was stabbed with the odd desire to refuse the transfer and stay. Then she added, "There's regular training in zero g aboard ship, isn't there, and less areas with rotation? And my transfer docs indicated I'd be in Communications primarily, just like here."

 

"That's true," replied Ivanova. "I was looking over your file and was surprised to see you'd recently added Narn to your list of languages. It's a difficult one to learn, isn't it?"

 

"I had some help," replied Marian. "I'd been trying on my own and getting nowhere fast. Then, one day, when I was off duty, I was eating lunch in the Zocalo while trying to read the Narn edition of Universe Today. Ambassador G'Kar's aide, Na'toth walked by. She stopped to ask me what I was doing, and we struck up a conversation. It's always easier to pick up a language with the help of a native speaker. I think it amused her. Anyway, she's a good teacher, more patient than she appears, and I passed the Academy online test a couple of months ago. I can speak and read Centauri, and read Drazi pretty well. I'm just starting on Minbari; with three languages it will take a while. Even their alphabet is difficult. It's a cross between a phonetic alphabet and an ideograph system, like some ancient Earth languages. Tricky."

 

"Someday I'm going to find the time to study more of the alien languages; it would come in useful," commented Ivanova. "I always wonder how the other governments feel about Earth English being the default language here on the station. It was the most logical choice, Interlac isn't anywhere near flexible enough, and Minbari, as you said, is difficult." She went back to the original subject, "So you think the crew is settling back down?"

 

"Pretty much." Marian hesitated again, then bulled ahead. She was still getting the distinct impression that the Lt. Commander wasn't feeling too sure of herself. It wasn't like she'd get another chance to talk to her this directly, at least not anytime soon. "We've all got the utmost confidence in you. You're a good officer, well-respected. Commander Sinclair obviously trusts you, and so do we. It's made all the difference at times."

 

Ivanova shook her head, obviously taken aback by the unexpected praise. "Thanks, but really... I'm just doing my job."

 

Marian pressed on, "When it looked like we were going to be attacked by the entire League over the presence of the Dilgar, you're the one who kept those ship captains arguing, playing the off each other. Then the way you held everything together during the docker's strike..."

 

"That was Commander Sinclair. He's the one who figured a way out of the situation," Ivanova protested.

 

"You're the one who kept all of those ships awaiting transit co-ordinates or docking instructions in line! It was you that gave him time to do what he needed. Isn't that the XO's job? To take care of every little thing, so that the Commander can take care of the big things?" Marian took a chance and smiled at her superior.

 

Ivanova smiled briefly this time in return. "That's about it. That, and know what he needs to know before he needs to know it. Speaking of XO's, I've spoken to yours."

 

This time it was Marian who was nonplussed, "Oh?" she asked, licking her lips a bit nervously.

 

"I wanted to know if he'd received the paperwork I'd sent over, recommending your rank be advanced to Lieutenant, j.g." Ivanova continued in a casual tone, "He thought it was an excellent idea. I got the impression they have plans for you, to take advantage of your language skills. Apparently the post is a better fit for a lieutenant than an ensign. He's already approved the promotion."

 

Marian was stunned. The transfer she'd wanted, and advancement...this was a day to remember. "Thank you, Lt. Commander. The fact that it was your recommendation means a great deal to me."

 

Ivanova stood, and Marian immediately rose, standing to attention. It looked like her exit interview was over. "It's been an honor to serve with you," Marian offered the statement with deep sincerity, accompanied by a crisp salute.

 

"And you, Roberts," said Ivanova, returning the salute, with a hint of sadness in her voice. "Maybe we'll run into each other, somewhere, out there." She extended her hand to Marian. "Or maybe you'll be back this way again."

 

"I don't know, Ma'am," said Marian, reaching across the desk to shake Ivanova's proffered hand. "I don't think the Alexander gets into this sector of space very often."

 

"You never know. Good-bye, Lt. Roberts."

 

As Marian left the room, she heard the urgent chirp of Ivanova's comlink behind her. Rushing down the corridor towards the command dome, she stopped to glance at the comscreen hanging on the wall by the main turbo-lifts. ISN was on, and there was a picture of the station. The newly minted lieutenant paused to see what the story was, but then noticed the time blinking at the bottom or the screen, and realized she had to hurry or she'd be late for her shift. Besides, she couldn't wait to get to the dome and tell the others. Then when her shift was over she'd put in a call home. The credits didn't worry her, not with her promotion. Excitement almost made her dizzy; it would be hard to get through her duty hours. It felt like her life was just beginning.

 

She could hardly wait.


End file.
